General
We’ve Spent $20m On 120,000 Families In North-East Nigeria—UNICEF
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Over 120,000 families in conflict-hit northeast Nigeria have been reached so-far with food and nutrition support in a $20 million (£16.1m) multi-year joint project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed.
UNICEF further disclosed that it was working together with the World Food Programme (WFP) and Action Against Hunger (AAH) to give families in Borno and Yobe States greater access to food and to protect children from malnutrition
It estimated that more than 4.4 million people are struggling in crisis and emergency food security levels in the two states, worst-hit by the Boko Haram conflict.
“We are building a system not only to treat children for malnutrition, but to help families who have been devastated by the conflict to prevent their children from becoming malnourished in the future”, said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria said in a statement.
It explained that the three-year project is being carried out in collaboration with the primary health-care agencies of the government of Nigeria and Borno and Yobe States.
It is providing vitamin and mineral supplements for mothers and children, funding for families with severely malnourished children to buy nutritious food, treatment for children with diarrhoea, and advice for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers on how they can provide the best possible nutrition for their children, the statement said.
With high levels of malnutrition even before the start of the Boko Haram conflict, the two most-affected states have seen food insecurity and malnutrition rates rise dramatically as a result of the fighting. In an already poor area, agriculture and markets have been disrupted by the fighting, which intensified towards the end of last year. The majority of food and seed stocks have been depleted, looted or destroyed, and many of the 1.8 million people who have fled their homes because of the conflict have had to leave behind what little stocks they had. Displacement has left many families with no means of earning a living, UNICEF said.
Although this is the harvest season, when more food would normally be available, an estimated 55,000 people in Borno state are living in famine-like conditions. That number is predicted to double by the middle of next year, making longer-term interventions such as the DFID-funded project all the more important.
The project, which began in April and runs through March 2019, has already treated 30,000 children for severe acute malnutrition.
More than 100,000 pregnant women have received iron folate; 60,000 children have been treated for diarrhoea, which can cause malnutrition or make it worse; 350,000 children have been given vitamin A supplements, boosting their immune systems and helping to protect them from illnesses such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and measles, which are frequently fatal in the area; and 40,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers have been helped with information on the best ways to feed young children in the circumstances in which they live.
An additional part of the project is a system of providing funds directly to families with the lowest incomes to enable them to buy nutritious food to prevent relapse after children have been treated for malnutrition. So far, more than 7,000 families have received this cash assistance.
“Access to cash has proven effective in helping internally displaced families to have a rich and varied diet, ensuring good nutrition for their children as well as enabling them to meet basic needs”, said Sory Ouane, WFP Nigeria’s Representative and Country Director.
Working with Nigerian government authorities, UNICEF is administering the nutrition aspects of the programme in Borno state, which has the heaviest burden of malnutrition, while WFP is managing the cash transfers and AAH is managing both aspects of the project in Yobe state.
“The fact that this is a multi-year commitment enables us not only to save children’s lives today, but to provide families and the most vulnerable young children with protection from malnutrition in the future as well”, said UNICEF Representative Fall.
In the three northeast Nigerian states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, an estimated 400,000 children under the age of five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. It is an extremely dangerous condition, making a child nine times more likely to die from an illness than a properly-nourished child. UNICEF, AAH and other partners working in these three states have so far this year managed to treat more than 130,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, including those in the DFID-funded project.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has approved the declaration of a 16-hour curfew in 10 local government areas of the state, as part of measures targeted at tackling insecurity.
According to a memo issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Musibau Babatunde, the curfew takes effect from Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
The movement restriction, between 4 pm and 8 am, lasts for 48 hours in the first instance and affects local government areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park.
The affected local councils are Oriire local government (Headquarters: Ikoyi-Ile), Orelope (Headquarters: Igboho), Irepo (Headquarters: Kisi), Saki West (Headquarters: Saki), Saki East (Hq Ago-Amodu), Atisbo (Headquarters: Tede / Ago-Are), Itesiwaju (Headquarters: Otu), Iseyin (Headquarters: Iseyin), Olorunsogo (Headquarters: Igbeti), and Atiba (Headquarters: Offa-Meta, Oyo).
The development followed a series of protests that rocked the state over the abduction of children and teachers in the Orire Local Government Area in May.
The National Coordinator of the movement, Mr Juwon Sanyaolu, who spoke during the latest protest held on Monday, said the demonstration was part of ongoing efforts by the group to push for the freedom of the victims.
According to him, the protest “is a continuation of actions the organisation has embarked upon since the abduction of children and teachers” in the Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May.”
“We will continue to protest for the release of all abducted victims until they are free. We believe that government officials are in the comfort of their rooms and offices while innocent 46 students and their teachers are languishing in the kidnappers’ den.
“We are demanding freedom for all captives in the North, South, West, and East of Nigeria,” Mr Sanyaolu said.
He also criticised political leaders for focusing on preparations for the 2027 elections while insecurity continues to threaten the lives of Nigerians.
“We will not be sitting until 2027. By that time, we won’t even know how many will be alive.
“So that is why we are at the heart of Ibadan in Oyo State, where the abduction took place. The state and federal governments must act, or they will continue to witness mass action,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Department of State Services (DSS) has closed its case against former Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai, in the ongoing alleged wiretapping trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, prosecuting counsel, Mr Oluwole Aladedoye, informed the court that the prosecution would not be calling further witnesses in the matter, prompting the formal closure of the DSS case.
Following the development, defence counsel, Mr Paul Erokoro, told the court that the defence intends to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution has failed to establish sufficient evidence against the former governor.
The defence subsequently sought two weeks to file the application, while the prosecution requested two weeks to respond.
The defence also applied for a variation of some of the bail conditions earlier granted to El-Rufai, describing them as stringent and difficult to meet.
They argued that the bail terms were too stringent, particularly the requirements for level 17 civil servants with properties in Maitama or Asokoro, as well as verification and attestation letters from the Kaduna state traditional council.
However, the prosecution opposed the request, insisting that qualified public officers who meet the conditions exist and urging the court to refuse the application.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik declined the request to vary the bail conditions, ruling that there are civil servants who own properties at the said location.
The court, however, adjourned to September 22 for the filing of the no-case submission and continuation of the trial.
In February, the federal government filed a three-count charge against the former governor of Kaduna State over an alleged interception of communications belonging to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu.
In a television interview, he confessed that he and other unnamed individuals listened to conversations from Mr Ribadu’s phone after it was tapped by a third party. While acknowledging that such interception is technically unlawful, he argued that illegal surveillance was not unusual.
However, the FG, through the secret police, filed charges against Mr El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The I-Fitness Gym centre around Jakande Roundabout, Lekki Peninsula, Eti-Osa, Lagos, has been sealed by the Lagos State government.
The facility was closed on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, by officials of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO).
The gym centre was accused of indiscriminately discharging raw sewage into public drains via a pipe, thereby causing public nuisance and environmental pollution as well as endangering human health.
Announcing the closure of the premises of the organisation, the Lagos Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, reiterated the need for the public to adhere strictly to proper wastewater management practices.
He emphasised that any individual or organisation found contravening environmental regulations will be meted out with appropriate sanctions and possible prosecution in accordance with the enabling laws.
The Commissioner has come under fire lately because of the poor waste management system in the metropolis, causing the state to look dirty.
A chief of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, called for his resignation over the issue.
In a related development, Mr Wahab has clarified that the state government has given members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) the authority to arrest environmental violators.
In a statement, he explained that contrary to the misinformation being circulated by some bloggers and commentators, the recent engagement between the Lagos State Government and transport unions across the State is not intended to replace the statutory responsibilities of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC). LAGESC, in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force, remains the duly empowered environmental enforcement arm of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
“As we are all aware, several environmental challenges persist within parks, garages, and the public transportation ecosystem, including illegal trading activities and the indiscriminate disposal of refuse on road medians and within transport facilities. The State Government’s engagement with transport unions is aimed at fostering collaboration, promoting shared responsibility, and ensuring improved cleanliness and proper waste management within their respective parks and garages.
“This partnership does not in any way diminish, transfer, or replace the enforcement responsibilities of LAGESC and the Task Force. Rather, it is a complementary initiative designed to strengthen environmental compliance, sanitation standards, and stakeholder participation in maintaining a cleaner environment across the State.
“We therefore wish to reassure all Lagosians that environmental cleanliness remains a top priority of the Lagos State Government. We will continue to engage relevant stakeholders and partners in our collective effort to build a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos,” he stated.
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